Ventilating devices



Aug. 13, 1957 Filed July 8. 1954 WITNESS Fig.l.

E. P. TURNER VENTILATING DEVICES 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 uvmvrox. Edgar 1.? Tilmsr ATTORNEY Aug. 13, 1957 Filed July 8. 1954 WI TNESS WWQ E. P. TURNER LYENTILATING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v mmvrox. Edgar 1? Turner ATTORNEY 2,802,409 I VENTILATINGDEVICES Edgar P. Turner, Watchung, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey 1 t Application July 8, 1954, Serial No. 442,059. 7

Claims. (Cl. 98 -116) This invention relates to ventilating devices for moving a volume of air from one'space to another and relates more particularly to devices of this general type provided with means for closing the ventilator. when it is not in use.

It is an object of the invention to provide means for fully opening the ventilator closure means in order that the air flow restriction will be a minimum.

Another object oftthe invention is to provide means for automatically opening the ventilator closure means when air is forced through the ventilator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ven- 2,802,409 Patented Aug. 13, 1957 "ice side of a ventilating opening with a closure device which frequently is of thepivoted vaned type shown in the drawings. Such a closure device prevents undesirable back-draftsthrough the ventilating air passage when the driving fan is inoperative and also sealsthe opening against the weather where the ventilator is exposed. In

a shutter device of the type shown, the weight of the vanes 18 normally holds them in the vertical position with the shutter closed and substantially sealed against any air flow. When the fan motor 14 is energized, the fan blade 15 forces air to flow in the direction of the arrows A against the closed vanes 18. The pressure of the air forces the vanes open but the force is insufiicient to open the vanes to a horizontal position. Consequently, the vanes 18 hang at an acute angle and restrict the air opening resulting in inefficient operation of the ventilator.

In the device disclosed herein, the ventilator operates initiallyin the same fashionas described above. However, as the vanes 18 open in response to the air pressure and air flows throughtheventilating passage, the moving air impinges on the fan blade 26 causing it and the shaft i to rotate. The fan blade 26 and shaft 25 function as an tilator closure device which is automatically opened when the ventilating fan operates but which is not mechanically or electrically interconnected with the fan.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the complete ventilating device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the ventilator closure.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional viewof the ventilator closure device in a partly opened position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a ventilating fan 10 is shown carried by supporting arms 11 fastened to an end wall 12 of an open ended enclosure 13 forming an air passage. The fan 10 comprises a driving electric motor 14 which powers a rotatable fan blade 15 located in an opening in the end wall 12 and adapted to force air through the air passage in the direction of the arrows A. The fan motor 14 is connected to an electric power source (not shown) and can be controlled in a conventional manner. A ventilator closure shutter 16 is fastened to the enclosure 13 and is arranged to close the air passage when the fan 10 is not operating. The closure shutter comprises a frame 17 which pivotally supports two panels of ventilating louver vanes 18 arranged to close the ventilating opening. Each vane 18 is supported at its upper edge on a pivot pin 19 carried by the frame 17. All of the vanes 18 in one panel are arranged to move in unison by means of a connecting bar 20 connected to an operating member 21 on each vane 18 in the panel by a pivoted connection 22. In the particular construction shown, a vertical brace 23 separates the louver panels and supports a bearing 24. A rotatable shaft 25 is journaled in the bearing 24 and carries a motor fan blade 26 which is relatively long and narrow. The fan blade 26 is disposed in the air passage facing the driving fan 10. A pin 27 holds the shaft 25 in place relative to the bearing 24 and the protruding end of the shaft 25 serves as a winding drum 28 upon which a flexible cord 29 can be wound. One end of the cord 29 is secured to the drum 28 and the other end of the cord 29 carries a ring 30. A compensating connecting cord 31 passes through the ring and is fastened at each end to one of the connecting bars 20 for a panel of louver vanes 18.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the operation and advantages of my device will now be readily understood. It is common practice to cover the exhaust air motor to wind the cord 29 on the drum 28. The. air motor and drum 28 supply suflicient mechanical advantage for the vanes 18 to be raised to a horizontal position where they offer minimum resistance to the flow of air. When the vanes 18 reach the limit of their opening move ment, such as when 'the top" member 21 strikes the wall of the enclosure 13, the cords29 'and 31 are placed under tension and stop the fan blade 26 from rotating. The continued force of the moving air against the blade 26 holds the vanes in their fully opened position. Of course, by proper adjustment of the lengths of the cords 29 and 31, it is possible in the embodiment shown to have the motor blade 26 come to rest in alignment with the brace 23 when the vanes 18 are fully .opened' so that it does not additionally restrict the air flow. When the fan motor 14 is de-energized and the blade 15 comes to rest thus causing the air flow to cease, there is no longer a flow of air impinging on the motor blade 26 to hold it in its open position with the vanes 18 wide open. The weight of the vanes 18 causes them to drop toward their vertical closed position unwinding the cord 29 from the drum 28 as they fall. Of course, it will be appreciated that other forms of mechanical connections can be used in place of the cords 29 and 31 to connect the air motor blade 26 to the shutter vanes 18. Also, the air motor type of ventilator opener can be used with other types of ventilator closures and is not limited to the shutter type alone.

From the above description, it is believed to be apparent that I have provided a ventilator and ventilator closure unit that is compact and simple in design and operation. Further, the shutter closure device is completely automatic in operation in that the closure opens and closes depending on whether the fan is in operation but no complicated mechanical or electrical connections between the fan and the closure are required.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

'1. A ventilating device comprising a frame defining a ventilating opening through which air can flow, blower means for causing air to flow through said ventilating opening in one direction, a closure device adapted to close said ventilating opening to prevent air from flowing opposite to said one direction, an air motor disposed up-' stream from said closure device having a rotatable fan blade carried by said frame and adapted to be rotated by air moved by said blower means, and a force multiplying device operatively connecting said air motor to said do sure device for actuating and opening said closure device when said airmotor fan blade rotates to permit air to flow through said ventilating opening in said one direction.

2. A ventilating device comprising a structure forming a fluid passage, driving means for forcing a fluid stream through said passage, closure means for automatically closing said passage when said driving means is inoperative, a rotatable fluid motor disposed in said passageupstream from said closure means and adapted to be rotated by movement of the fluid past said motor, and force multiplying means operatively connecting said fluid motor to said closure means for opening said closure means when fluid flows past said fluid motor.

3. A ventilating device comprising a louver frame providing an air passage for an air stream, louver vanes pivotally carried by said frame and adapted to close said air passage, a rotatable shaft carried by said louver frame, a fan-blade disposed in said air stream upstream from said vanes, said blade being secured to said shaft and adapted to rotate said shaft, interconnecting means between said louver vanes for simultaneous actuation of said vanes, and a flexible cord having one end secured to said shaft and adapted to be wrapped therearound and having the other end operatively connected to said louver vanes for actuating and opening said louver vanes upon rotation of said fan blade to permit air to flow through said ventilating opening in said one direction.

4. A ventilating device comprising a frame defining a ventilating opening for an air stream, a series of pivoted a winding drum operatively connected to said air motor for rotation by said motor, and flexible cord means operatively connected to said shutter vanes and to said winding drum for actuating and opening said shutter vanes when said drum is rotated to permit air to flow through said ventilating opening in said one direction.

5. A ventilating device comprising a frame defining a ventilating opening through which air can flow, blower means for causing air to flow through said ventilating opening in-one direction, a closure deviceadapted to close said ventilating opening to prevent air from flowing opposite to said one direction; a cross-brace extending from one side of said ventilating opening to the opposite side of shutter vanes carried by said frame for closing said ven tilating opening, means interconnecting said vanes to assure pivoting of said vanes in unison, an air motor carried by said frame and having arotatable fan blade, said air motor being disposed upstream from said shutter vanes,

said ventilating opening, an air motor disposed upstream from said closure device having a rotatable fan blade carried by said cross-brace and adapted to be rotated by air moved by said blower means, a force multiplying device operatively connecting said air motor to said closure device for actuating said closure device when said air motor fan blade rotates, said force multiplying means including means for stopping said air motor when said closure device is fully opened and said fan blade is disposed parallel to said cross-brace.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 566,073 Fox Aug. 18, 1896 1,343,162 Sherwen June 8, 1920 1,518,127 Baetz Dec. 9, 1924 2,141,923 McMahan; Dec. 27, 1938 2,196,308 Johnston Apr. 9, 1940 

